Never Flew So High
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, days 747-752:  Sequel to 'The Home Wall'  A new offer for Brittany could mean a game change for her life.  aka 'The Hanged Man', 'Death', 'Temperance', 'The Devil', 'The Tower', and 'The Star'
1. To the Skies

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 35th cycle. Now cycle 36!_

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><p><em>Had the idea for this cycle back in July or August where I thought it'd be interesting to do <strong>a set inspired by tarot cards<strong>. My initial research then directed me to the cards of **the Major Arcana**, of which there were 22, so I combined two, which got me to 21, making this a cycle-long set of stories. Then I did more research, to find out about each of those cards, and what they can represent. Now I need to point out that it's a more or less basic approach. I don't go into the reverse meaning or other things, just this part.** ** If you would like the document of info I've collected and based myself on, let me know and I'll send it, since it covers the next three weeks' worth of stories. **** Lastly, in connection to the first card, **'The Fool'**, and the journey through those other cards, this entire cycle will feature, in lead or supporting form, one **Brittany S. Pierce**..._

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High"<br>Brittany, Brittana, etc  
>Boston Britt series #3 (sequel to "The Home Wall")<br>**

**1. To the Skies  
>or 'The Hanged Man'<strong>

_Dear Brittany,_

_Happy five-month Bostonversary! We still can't believe it's been this long since you've been with us in the choir room. You'd think we would have gotten used to it by now, but every time we sit in those chairs, we remember when you were with us. I guess you'll have heard about Alexandra and her 'fabulous exit.' We don't really miss her, and Santana hasn't stopped smiling all week. At least she helped us get through Sectionals, now we just need to find someone else so we can go to Regionals… just don't remind Santana, she's in a good place right now without having to think about yet another person coming in to join us that isn't you. Kurt insists he's trying to talk Blaine into transferring, so maybe we won't have that problem anymore. I'm not sure how she feels about him though…_

_Thank you again for coming down to see us at Sectionals! You were our good luck charm, and we heard you scream louder than anyone in that audience when they said our name. And we're already working out the trip to come and see your showcase in a few weeks, so don't worry, we'll be there… We can scream loud, too!_

_Mike's going around taking pictures of everyone while I'm writing this, and I've had to stop a few times to pose already. You'll find all those along with the letter, and I hope they'll make you happy. In the meantime, you just keep going at that school, we keep saying it but we're so proud! For Lima!_

_Take care, can't wait to see you,_

_Tina_

X

Brittany could feel her sides cramping from laughter as she sat up on the top bunk which was her bed, watching below as Aimee chased Tessa around the room, trying to get a box of cookies from her. They both laughed, too, so it wasn't like Aimee was upset, she just really wanted those cookies… Finally she'd tricked Tessa, tackling her on to the single bed and pinning her while she victoriously wrenched the box from her hands and held it up in the air. Brittany clapped and hollered while her roommates collapsed back with chuckles. Aimee ate one cookie, then passed another to Tessa. Brittany smiled, turning back to stick Tina's letter on the wall before looking through the pictures. It was weird to say it like this, as it had just been five months since she'd left, but they all kind of looked older, like they'd changed. A haircut here, new clothes there… Kurt looked taller every time she saw him, though maybe that was just his hair giving him the edge.

She stuck the pictures up, having to take a few down. They had sent her so many over the last few months, her poor Home Wall couldn't support them all anymore. So she'd invested in a photo album. When she would take pictures down to make way for new ones, she would put them – usually the oldest ones – into the album, which she kept on the book shelf they'd installed, just within her reach.

She couldn't believe it had been five months either. The first few weeks had been so hard that she felt the passing of each day, of each hour almost, like they couldn't end… But then her friends had come to visit her, then her mother, her grandfather, her father and stepmother and sisters… Even Brad had come, once, with his wife and daughters. And though she did continue missing them every day, it wasn't the same… It didn't make her feel like crying anymore, just anxious to share with them how things were going, finding out how things were on their end… and the days had turned into weeks, which turned into months, and there she was… Her classes had become more interesting to her all of a sudden, which Santana would tell her was because she was finally letting herself enjoy it, wasn't worrying about the rest so much. And that was completely true. She was happy, and that made her soar… Others noticed, too.

A few days had gone by since she'd gotten Tina's letter, when she started to notice something. It was oddly reminiscent of the feeling she'd had when she kept seeing James Maurizio, formerly referred to as 'Green Scarf Man' before she found out he was there to invite her to audition for the school. But she was already at the school, so why would anyone be looking at her like that now?

Apparently her guardian angel in the green scarf wasn't done looking after her, because he'd spoken of her to an old friend who was now in charge of a dance company looking for 'new blood, fresh talent.' And now the woman, later identified as Sherry Weston, had come in to observe her in action. It hadn't sunk in, what it could mean for her, not until Sherry had taken her aside, and they sat together, and then they talked. She was very impressed with Brittany, had been hearing from others too who said that as good as she was when she'd come to them, she had gotten so much better over just a few short months. Obviously she wouldn't dream of intervening when the girl was on such a climb already and could climb further and further, but if Brittany was interested, she would put the wheels in motion, make arrangements with the school so she could share her time to some degree, until such a time, after graduating or maybe even before, when she could come and join them… permanently.

Brittany was speechless. Sherry gave her a smile and her card and told her to think about it and get back to her… and then she was gone. Brittany walked like she was on auto pilot, back to her room, still staring at the card. People bumped into her a couple of times, and she absently excused herself before going on. When she got back to the room and opened the door she heard a gasp and saw the comforter on Aimee's bed spasm with motion underneath. "S-sorry, didn't mean to…" she turned back to the door, auto pilot telling her to just get out of there.

"No, it's, uh… okay," Tessa's voice called her back, slightly out of breath.

"Just give us a minute?" Aimee's voice followed. Brittany stood facing the door until she was told to turn around. The two girls sat back on the bed, still straightening up their clothes, taming the dishevelled hair. "Everything alright? We weren't expecting you until…" Brittany didn't say a thing, instead presented them with the card.

"Holy sh… Sherry Weston?" Tessa startled, seeing the name. "She was here?" Brittany nodded. "What did she want?" Brittany retold the whole encounter, sitting on the edge of the bed when Aimee invited her to. When she was done, her roommates looked about to congratulate her, but she must have been wearing her hesitation on her face, because they went another way. "Brittany, you have to do it. If Weston wants you…" Aimee put her hand on Tessa's shoulder as though to say 'stop, before you pass out.' "It's a great opportunity," she still put in.

"No, I know," Brittany nodded.

"So what's the problem? Do you want to go?" Aimee asked.

"Of course I do…" there was no hesitation on that part. If the first few weeks had been hard for her to get past her doubts over herself, over pursuing this, the last few months had helped her in asserting herself, in growing more confident. But it didn't change the other part, the one that felt such a strong connection with her roots. "But if I do this…" she paused, her eyes turning up to the walls that surrounded her bed up above before they turned back to her roommates. "Then I'm never going back to Lima, am I?"

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	2. Take Off

_A/N: Thanks for reading chapter 1! Here's the next one! :D Also I'll spare you any panic attacks you might have seeing the associated tarot card of the day... It doesn't mean that ;)_

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High"<br>**Brittany, Brittana, etc  
>Boston Britt series #3 (sequel to "The Home Wall")<strong> **

**2. Take Off  
>or 'Death' <strong>

She sat on her bed, the laptop sitting open in front of her, and… she was petrified. "Hey…" She startled, but then looked to the side to see Aimee on the ladder. "It'll be fine," she promised. "We're going down to the café now… Come join us when you're done if you want," she invited.

"Okay," she nodded, and between that and the nervous quake in her limbs, it was one massive nod. She watched the two of them go and then she was on her own… waiting…

When she'd explained to Tessa and Aimee about her concerns, they had been quick to point out that it didn't mean she would never get to go back. She'd known this, of course, but what she'd meant was that she would never be back among the people she loved, not permanently. She'd be a visitor, always passing through, never staying. She wouldn't be part of their lives and would only ever get to find out about things after the fact. And when she'd be there, what would that be like? She got lost in conversation sometimes, but at least she was part of that world, so she could catch up. Now she would go back, and someone would make a joke, she wouldn't get it, and then they'd say something like 'oh it's a long story' or 'you had to be there' or something like that… She would never have been there, not anymore.

All this time they'd been telling her to go ahead, to move forward… but surely they had to be thinking, like her, that at the end of all this going forward, she would come back to them… This was supposed to be a temporary separation, not anything so permanent. Everyone always talked about getting out of Lima, getting out of Ohio. She'd done it, and still sometimes all she wanted was to be back there, so what was the big rush?

So what would they say about this? They wanted her to be happy, to go places… They'd tell her to do it, to take the chance… Who knew when she'd get another chance like that? She'd spent so much time thinking she wasn't going to get in college, wasn't going to get anywhere, and others probably thought the same. Now she was at this school, and while she wasn't exactly breaking any academic records, she was getting by… somehow. And she was being handed not just a chance, she was being handed a future. She'd be crazy to let it go, but she knew she would begin to doubt it when she'd see their faces, when they'd realize what she'd realized just before, that she wasn't going to come home to them. They'd tell her they were happy with their voices, but their faces might say something else.

She wished she could just talk to them about it, for real, face to face, not just… face to screen to face… She couldn't just up and leave the school for an outing to Lima though, especially not now. She sent an e-mail to her father, saying she needed to talk to him and Charlotte and her mother and her grandfather, but not her sisters. He asked if she was alright, and she said she was, but she needed to talk to them. So he said he'd get them and to wait at the computer, and that was what she did.

She'd been trying to decide what she'd say, how she'd say it… The fact that she'd wanted to talk to them all at once like this… She could pretend otherwise, but she'd made up her mind. Last time, they'd been the last ones to know, except for her sisters, and she didn't want that to be the case again. But the others, they were kept in mind, too. They were meeting in Glee Club that afternoon, so she'd e-mailed Santana and told her to bring her laptop to school… she'd also told her to take Mike aside and video call her first – she wasn't going to spring this on them just like the others. Those two had been with her through this, right from the audition. Then there was a voice in her that said Santana shouldn't be on her own, not with what she had to say.

As she'd imagined, her family was shocked and happy for her at the same time. They were concerned about her taking this on all by herself, but she knew she could do it, and maybe that was okay. She'd made it five months on her own, maybe more than they had ever expected, so what was the harm? Her father made her promise that if anything was ever wrong though, she'd let him know, and she promised. Her grandfather was just as supportive, though she could see in his eyes he was being strong for her; that got the tears started for her. And then there was her mother. She knew she had emotion in her; she may not have liked to let others see, but Brittany had seen it. She'd never seen her have so much difficulty holding it in. "Hey…" she'd spoken, just sharp enough to get her back on track, and she saw in her mother's eyes that it had been just what she'd needed. She said she'd come up to Boston to speak to 'this Weston woman' before anything was made official. Brittany agreed. She'd have to find a way to break it to Cat and Izzy… Her goodbyes for Boston had been hard enough before… this would be worse.

But that was later, and now she had something just as hard to wait on. She'd just had time to remove the trace of tears from her face when she heard the tone that indicated a call was coming to her computer. She climbed back up on her bed, and she was greeted with the two faces… Santana and Mike. "Hello, over there!" Mike waved. She laughed.

"Hi," she waved back. Santana closed out the waving last.

"What's with the mystery?" Santana asked. Brittany's hand came back down, and… her throat was closed so tight she wasn't sure how she was breathing.

"I, uh… I got a job offer today… or something… I still don't understand all of it exactly, but that's what it is, basically," she finally found her voice again, taking it slow as though she'd scare it away otherwise.

"A job?" Santana asked; why did she always have that tone in her voice, like she knew something bad was about to happen, but she had to hear it first?

"Yeah," she held up the card the camera. "She showed up this morning during class and we talked. Mr. Maurizio sent her, apparently they're old friends."

"Of course they would be," Santana shook her head to herself.

"San…" Brittany saddened, wishing she could be there with her.

"So what does this mean exactly? This job…" Mike asked. Brittany explained it just as Miss Weston had told it to her. She was just finishing when Santana just got up and walked out of frame. "Santana?" Brittany called into the computer, helpless. "Mike, where'd she go?" she begged.

"I don't… Hang on, okay?" he dashed off too, and Brittany was left staring at two empty chairs. Now the tears really started. Her hand covered her mouth, trying to stay in control, but she was scared. She'd gone and committed to this decision, but she hadn't realized… Maybe she had blocked it out. She didn't want to go, not like this, not if it meant… But Santana, she wanted this for her, more than anyone she knew, so how were they going to…

When Mike returned, alone, she feared she might have lost her for good. "She's going to come back," he told her though, and she listened. "She just needs a minute."

"Okay," her voice cracked. "Mike, can you stay with her tonight?" she begged. He nodded quietly.

"You're doing it, right?" he asked. She confirmed it; she couldn't not. "Good."

"Mike… Is it bad that I'm scared?" she asked.

"No. It just means you really want it," he told her, smiling, and she had to smile back. He looked to the side then, and back to the screen. "I'll leave you two, I… yeah," he got up and stepped out of screen. And then she was back. She'd been crying, and Brittany's heart felt too heavy in her chest.

"I'm sorry…" was the first thing she could think about.

"Why are you apologizing?" Santana asked, and at least now she knew she was sad, not angry.

"Seemed like the thing to do," she shrugged. They were quiet for a moment. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know, I just need to work this out I guess. Is it really what you want?" she had to know.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded, honestly. Santana took a breath, looking aside for a moment, and Brittany thought she heard Spanish, or a swear… or both… "Are we… Are we okay?"

"Of course we are," Santana told her. "You know I'm proud of you?" she 'checked,' and Brittany smiled.

"Always."

"Okay… So Mike's going to take the computer in there, I don't think I should be there when you tell them," she explained.

"Sure, no problem," Brittany promised. After Santana had gone, Mike had taken the laptop into the choir room, and Brittany prepared for a third round of tears. There was no going back now… She was doing it.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	3. Level Off

A/N: You guys are epic and I love ya ;)

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High"<br>Brittany, Brittana, Boston Britt #3**

**3. Level Off  
>or 'Temperance' <strong>

She was on the football field, at McKinley. The Titans were playing, and she was on the sidelines, in her Cheerios uniform, with Santana by her side, with all the rest of the Cheerios. They waved their pom poms, they jumped, they cheered… Just like any other game. It was loud, and the energy was so alive you couldn't help but be taken in by it. The clock was ticking down, the game was nearing its end and the score was tied… it was anyone's game. Then all of a sudden McKinley surged from behind, the crowd went wild, the Cheerios cheered so hard none of them would have voice in the morning, and… they won!

The crowd was on its feet, the players were huddling, the Cheerios were celebrating… she tried to see Santana, but someone had gotten in the way. She went on cheering, tried again to get to her, but she couldn't… something in the way…

"Brittany?" a voice called her attention the other way. "Brittany?" it called again… Tessa? "Hey, wake up. The library is closing."

In one second, the blink of an eye, the field was gone and she was back in Boston, in the library, her head down on her arms, over a textbook. "What?" she blinked, still not sure what had just happened… that was a dream? It had felt so real…

"How long have you been here?" Aimee asked.

"What time is it?" Brittany rubbed at her eyes, yawning. "My head hurt, I just put it down for a second…"

"Okay, come on," Tessa nodded, starting to help both Aimee and Brittany to gather up the textbooks, notebooks, pens, spread out across the table. "What class is this for?"

"All of them," Brittany absently muttered, closing one textbook. The girls left the library, moving back towards their room.

"We're going to get dinner, want to come?" Tessa asked.

"I should get to the studio, need to practice," she continued, just as monotone.

"It can wait," Aimee told her. After dropping off Brittany's things, they'd taken her along to the café. They made their orders and then they waited.

It had been a week since Sherry Weston had swept into her life, and day by day it seemed the effect on her was growing. The transition was small, but it was there, as it dawned on her how much was at stake. She had to be ready, couldn't fall behind. She'd been getting by with the academic side, but that wasn't enough anymore. This kind of sacrifice, of chance… she couldn't go at it like she always had. Back at McKinley, classes had been difficult. They still were, here… It was making her head ache constantly. But she kept at it, because she knew it was worth it, or it would be. And it did get easier, to some point. It hadn't been long enough to really see results, but she did feel like she understood things in a whole other way now. So that was good.

She had increased her dance time, too. She practiced more, listened to her teachers with so much intensity it seemed to startle them. In the last two days, if she wasn't studying or dancing, she was sleeping or eating or showering or moving from one activity to the next. Sitting here in the café now though, on mandatory mental rest, the exhaustion hit her like a fist, and hunger surged as well.

"Look, we get that this is a big deal, and you want to do good, but you can't kill yourself to do it," Aimee spoke, serious. Brittany looked up at her.

"I wasn't going to, I wouldn't…"

"No, she doesn't mean actually…" Tessa touched her arm. "We're just worried, you know?"

"What if I make a mistake?" Brittany frowned. "What if they change their mind if my grades aren't…"

"They're not hiring you to do their taxes," Aimee pointed out.

"I know…" Their plates arrived then, and Brittany forgot her roommates for a moment, digging in. Maybe she was trying not to talk, but they knew better. They waited. When there was no more food to be had, silence regained, and she was back in the spotlight. "I guess… I got carried away a bit."

"Yeah," Tessa nodded. "Did something happen?" It took another minute or so of silence, as she stirred her straw among the ice cubes in her empty glass. Then her hands dropped to the table.

"I told my sisters." After a moment, there came one hand to cover her left, another to cover her right. She squeezed both Aimee and Tessa's hands.

Eventually they had all left the café, went back to their room. Brittany was brought in to sit in between the other two to watch a movie, like they wanted to make sure she would relax. Finally they all went to bed, and she had relaxed, she was breathing…

But she couldn't sleep. She laid there, eyes glued on the ceiling… with the faces of her friends staring back at her, the pictures Santana had sent her months ago. She tried to close her eyes, to not see them; it was like they were staring her down. The more minutes went by, the more it felt like her breath was failing, out of frustration maybe, for her failed attempt at sleep. She could hear the sounds of the city outside her window, and after a while she'd realized she'd started counting. Cars, sirens, dogs… The more she tried to ignore them, the louder they were. She didn't know what was happening to her, but she didn't like it… It wasn't supposed to feel like this…

Her hands scrambled for the ladder, but she abandoned it and leapt to the ground… she landed quietly. No shoes, no socks, just light pyjama pants and a tank top, but it didn't matter, she had to get out, she needed air. She was careful to exit the room without waking Aimee or Tessa, and then she sprinted down the hall, down the stairs and out the door. She stopped as soon as the night breeze wrapped itself around her and she took in as much as she could.

She must have stood there for something like twenty minutes. Every once in a while, someone would pass by and stare at her, confused about what the barefoot girl was doing there. One girl, who looked like she was on her way to a party or coming back from one, asked if she was lost. It finally snapped her out of it, and she shook her head quietly before going back inside.

Okay, she knew she'd promised them she would take it easy, but it didn't mean she couldn't at least go into the dance class. She felt comfortable there, maybe because the colors reminded her of the Glee room back at McKinley.

After she'd told her parents, and the Glee Club, she knew there was still one more thing she had to do. Cat and Izzy would be the last ones to know, the very last, and it was by no means her intention to keep them in the dark, but always unless she knew for sure then it was no use to put any ideas in their heads. But it was for sure now, so she had to tell them. Like before, all she really wanted was to tell them in person, but that wasn't possible, and she knew it.

When she'd left Lima, when she was leaving just for a while, that had already been so much for the girls. Cat had made herself strong, but even Brittany could see through it… she'd always wanted a big sister and now she had one, and then she'd gone away. But Izzy had broken her heart, in having her own heart broken. Those little blue eyes, so much like her own, had grown red, she'd clung to her eldest sister for dear life, didn't want her to go so far.

She'd promised them she would come back.

She told herself she shouldn't cry when she told them, or they would think it was worse than it was. But the moment the two blonde heads popped up on her screen, she'd burst into tears. She was supposed to be bringing them good news; that was what it was… they wouldn't see it that way, not right away. All they'd hear was the part about her not coming home. Oh, what if they hated her?

She'd been given a key to the class; perk of her 'promotion,' she guessed. She opened the door, flipped one of the light switches and just went to sit on the ground, in the place where light had come on. From down here, everything looked alright… no sadness, no questions… One week had passed and it was like everything had turned upside down.

Izzy had screamed. She'd started shaking her head, and the sound had come snaking out of her throat. She begged for her not to do it, to just come home, right now. In that moment she really wanted to, wanted to go and hold her sister and say that nothing bad was going to happen, that they'd stay together and that would be that. Cat had been made to regain her previous standing as older sister in the house, when Brittany had gone off to school, and now she did what Brittany couldn't; she held their little sister. Deep down it was like she'd prepared for this all along, her not coming home; she'd just waited for the moment where her doubts would be confirmed.

She'd never missed home as much as she did that night, sitting in the empty dance class… that was saying a lot, after the hell she'd been through months before. Her happiness was making everyone sad…

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	4. Deviate

_A/N: You guys... *draws heart in air with fingers, points finger at you* ;)_

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High<strong>  
><strong>Brittany, Brittana, Boston Britt #3<strong>

**4. Deviate**  
><strong>or 'The Devil'<strong>

She vaguely remembered getting up at some point and returning to her room, getting back into bed and at last being carried into sleep through nothing but the need for it. In the morning though, she couldn't pull herself out of that bed to go to class. Aimee and Tessa had told her to take the day off, and so she listened. She lay there, looked at the pictures above her bed, like she'd done the night before. They didn't look nearly so scary in the light of day and now she wondered why they had.

She felt terrible, and the words for it emerged from she didn't know where, but they were there. Selfish… that was the one that surged out most of all.

That was how she felt now, about this Weston thing. She wished she'd never shown up. She wished she'd never found out about her so she could finish out her studying here and go back home to her sisters, her parents, her grandfather, her friends… Santana… Santana… She tried to call her on the computer and got nothing. She'd just gone and said yes to something and now all these lives had been changed.

Did they think she wanted to leave them? No, of course not! She loved them, every last one of them, even the ones she had spent so much time being told she shouldn't even look at. She loved them, they were her friends, her blood, the ones who made her smile. They didn't always understand her, but they understood her the most out of anyone. She felt safe with them, and leaving them had already nearly torn her apart. But she had stuck it out, and things had gotten better.

They were heartbroken, but so was she, and not one of them was there to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. She'd had to make the decision all by herself, for herself, and it was alright! It was what she was meant to do! She had spent so much time as that girl everyone called dumb behind her back and to her face, too, and now she was growing, people were seeing her as valuable, and she had a shot at a future she really wanted! She'd dreamed of it, sure, so many times, but never in her wildest dreams had she believed it could happen for her… her…

After it had all sunk in, she had realized how much she really wanted it and she had felt happy, possibly one of the happiest moments of her life. And ever since then, everything and everyone had been chipping away at it, trying to rob her of it, no… No, they couldn't do that, they…

She squeezed her eyes shut, her fists, buried her face in her arms… What was she thinking? She was making them sound like villains. They loved her, they cherished her. They had been the proudest people out there, and what was she thinking about them? She wanted to feel good about it, but how could she? No one else was happy, not really. They put on a brave face, said 'Congratulations!' or 'Good on you!' but it was just the part they showed her. Underneath, that wasn't real…

Now she felt she was buried under all these bad feelings, and she couldn't remember what part of getting that Weston offer had been good, even if she knew that was the only way she'd ever pull through.

Aimee and Tessa dropped in at lunch, brought her food, to find her huddled on Aimee's bed with the girl's laptop, watching a movie like they always did, snuggled up in Santana's knit blanket and holding fast to a yellow cushion shaped like a star. They ate with her; she didn't say a thing. They left again for the afternoon, and so she carried on doing… nothing… until Aimee and Tessa returned with dinner and when Brittany asked for a can of soda she was handed the phone.

"What's…" Through the speakers she distinctly heard what – distantly – sounded like her mother's voice. Her head snapped back up to look at her roommates. "What did you do?" she shook her head.

"Just talk to her, alright? You can't keep this to yourself like that. You haven't been you, not for days. Maybe she can help you," Aimee explained, determined. Brittany was still shaking her head. "I can't say it any clearer. Talk to your mother," she pointed to the phone. Brittany stared at it. "We're going to go eat in the courtyard," Aimee told her while Tessa picked up their part of the dinner and they left the room. Brittany was awake now, completely awake, for the first time that day, it felt. She let out a breath, took in another and expelled that one too… Her mother… How she wanted to have her there with her in that instant. So she put the phone to her ear.

"M-Mom?" she spoke.

"Brittany…" she sounded relieved, sounded like her mother, not the Coach, and now Brittany felt like rotten eggs all over again.

"Mom… Why can't I be happy?" It wasn't plaintive; she honestly wanted to know, and maybe her mother would be the one to have the answer.

"I thought you were," Sue told her.

"I was, at first… But everyone's sad now because of what I did. Izzy screamed… at me, she screamed…"

"Now just listen to me, alright? Are you listening?" Brittany looked at the phone, then put it back to her ear, gave an 'uh-huh.' "It's never going to be easy, the thought of you being far away. But that doesn't mean we don't understand it, and that's what we've been telling you all along."

"But…"

"The only one that's holding you back is you, yourself. Would you have preferred if we were happy that you were going away?"

"Well, no," Brittany frowned at the thought.

"Alright, so I'm going to say it one more time, and you listen good, got it?"

"Yes," she obeyed.

"This is a good thing, every last part of it. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it'll get better. I give you my word on it. Do I go back on my word?"

"Never," Brittany shook her head, then remembered her mother couldn't see her. She was starting to feel better, and she supposed she had really needed it. But there was one thing still that she had trouble with, and she did hesitate in bringing it up, but since her mother had been so agile at uprooting that problem, maybe she could do something about this, too. "Okay, but…"

"No 'buts,' alright?" Sue insisted.

"No, b… No, it's not like that, it's just… I tried calling Santana… all day today, and yesterday too, and she won't answer. I don't know what I said to upset her, I thought we were okay even after I told her about the offer and she cried and ran off. We were good, so why won't she talk to me?" There was a pause. "Mom?"

"You didn't hear?"

How three words could invent so many meanings in her mind all at once, to the point where it felt like her brain was trying to weigh itself down to drop with her heart, she had no idea, but they did, and she felt… she didn't know what she felt, but she had never known those words to be good.

"Heard what?" she begged to be overreacting, oh please…

There was a knock at the door and she startled, looking back at it, then feeling just a hint of frustration that her roommates were coming to check on her, to make sure she was talking to her own mother, she wanted to open that door and go 'see? I have the phone, it's fine.'

The confused jumble of emotions that had already been boiling up just went up and burst when on the other side she didn't find Aimee and Tessa but the most welcome sight in the history of welcome sights. "You're here… Are you really here?" she couldn't stand for this to be her imagination. If she woke up on the dance class floor, she would be so upset, she…

"Yeah," Santana dropped her bag just as Brittany dropped the phone and all but leapt into the visitor's arms. She was real… and Brittany's tears, for once, were tears of joy.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	5. Fly Path

_A/N: You guys rock :) Also final chapter tomorrow!_

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High"<br>Brittany, Santana, Brittana, Boston Britt #3**

**5. Fly Path  
>or 'The Tower' <strong>

She didn't speak… she didn't need to or want to. All she wanted was to stand there and feel the warmth of those arms around her, know that this was really happening. They held so tight that Brittany would bet they could feel both their own and the other's heartbeat.

"Did you say something?" Santana's voice finally returned, and though Brittany couldn't see her face it sounded like she was both crying and smiling at once. In that moment the blonde realized she'd been whispering 'thank you' over and over under her breath.

"No…" she smiled, too, sniffling.

"We should probably… go in," Santana pointed out.

"Okay," Brittany wasn't about to let her go yet, bringing her scooting inside, and Santana laughed.

"Wait, though…" she pulled back and now Brittany saw she had more than the bag she'd dropped a moment ago. She pulled another bag and two suitcases from out in the hall before closing the door and turning back to Brittany, who blinked in surprise. Santana crouched to pick up the fallen phone and listened. "Guess they hung up," she put it down and looked to Brittany. "Who was it?"

"My mother."

"Ah," Santana nodded. Brittany looked to the bags and suitcases.

"Moving in?" she looked back to Santana, confused. She didn't speak at first, but Brittany wasn't going to let it go. Now that the shock of her appearance had begun to wear off, pieces of this and that were falling into place. Her mother had been taken aback when she'd mentioned Santana and then those words… And now with the baggage… So she looked to her face, knowing if there was anything to be found in it, she would see it. "What happened?" Santana didn't speak, and Brittany took a step forward. "San… Does your family know you're here?"

"Not… exactly," she grew evasive, sitting on Tessa's bed, the bottom bunk. Brittany sat facing her.

"They'll be worried." Santana shrugged. "What about Catalina?" she brought up her little sister, and she knew she'd hit right where she had to in order to get her talking again, except… with a smile.

"She's the one who gave me the idea, kind of," she revealed. Brittany didn't understand. "She said I keep telling her to chase her dreams, and…" She hesitated here, but made herself look back to the blonde. "She said maybe it was time I chased mine, too… even if I have to chase it all the way to Boston." Brittany beamed. Santana chuckled through remnants of tears. "If it had been anyone but her…"

"But what'd you do? What about school, and your parents, and…"

"I'll figure it out as I go," she shrugged it off.

"You're staying?" somewhere inside her Brittany probably felt some concern about the thought that Santana would uproot her life like this, for her, but the only tone that came in her voice was happiness.

"Well, if you think Boston's big enough for the both of us," Santana teased, and a second later had been tackled by the blonde and she burst out laughing.

"But where are you going to live?" Brittany asked, sitting up when she started thinking about it. Santana propped herself up on one elbow, turning on her side.

"I actually have that settled… temporarily," she told her. "A few of them in Glee Club kind of found out what I was planning to do, including Artie. I figured he'd rat me out. Instead he said he'd talk to his aunt and uncle about letting me stay with them until I can find a place of my own…" she explained, still showing the gratitude she'd felt toward the guy, especially considering they weren't exactly on the best of terms for a while. Then she frowned. "…which also means finding a job… and I still want to get my diploma…" she listed off, and now she looked like she was going to get overwhelmed, want to go back… Brittany was more than familiar with the feeling and she shook her head, grasping her hand.

"I'll help, okay? I'll help, I promise," she nodded, and Santana nodded back, breathing out. She looked down to their hands, grasped together with all the urgency of catching up the time they'd spent apart. Now Santana sat back up to look at her.

"What about you? Are you okay?" She must have looked kind of a mess, having spent the day holed up in the room, in a stranglehold with her emotions. But then after the talk to her mother, and most of all since Santana's arrival, she had forgotten almost all of it. She felt like a new person, or… maybe she felt like her old self… All she cared about was that it felt good, except now she had to think about it again.

"Better now," she bowed her head semi-confidently.

"You look tired," Santana sounded concerned. Brittany rubbed at her face.

"Because I am." Santana reached over with her free hand, brushing back the hair that was obscuring part of the blonde's face. "Will you stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Of course," Santana promised. "I've had a long day. I'll track down the Boston Abrams in the morning. Your roommates won't mind, right?"

"It's fine," Brittany promised right back, then after a moment. "And then what happens after?"

"I'll go out there in the morning. Might take a couple days to settle in, find my way around, then I'll start looking…" Brittany shook her head, interrupting her.

"I didn't mean that, I meant… us," she shrugged with a small smile. Santana knew what she'd meant. "You came here, you… came here for me," she stated, and Santana didn't deny it. "That's not just friendly, it's more, a lot more."

"Yeah," Santana gave a smile.

"You know for a week now all I've been able to think about was that I was about to lose everything because of this job with Sherry Weston. Worst of all was thinking I could lose you. I mean, if you'd said the word I would have packed my bags and been back in Lima in a heartbeat."

"I couldn't do that to you," Santana shook her head, and Brittany took up her other hand.

"I know," she smiled. "But you… you just came. I didn't have to say anything. That tells me something."

"What?" Santana asked, calm. Brittany breathed out, looking at her.

"I know you've been scared, about letting people see who you are, like they'd forget how great you are," she shook her head. "And I know things didn't happen how we thought they would, or when we thought they would," she nodded her head at each thing. "But so what, because look…" she raised their grasped hands up for her to see. "Now we're here. We can… I don't know…" she looked for the right word.

"Start over?" Santana offered. Brittany's face scrunched up… "No," Santana interpreted, smirking, thinking. "Move forward…" Brittany nodded, lighting up… getting there. "Well we have plenty of time to find a good word or two," she decided, and Brittany agreed. "But I do know a thing or two are going to happen," she sat up. Brittany waited to hear. "You're going to blow them all away. Not just that Weston woman. They won't be able to get enough of you."

"True," Brittany bobbed her head about, making Santana laugh. "And you? Where are you going to be?" Now it was Santana who indicated their hands, perpetually joined.

"Right here."

"Promise?" Brittany tempted hope. Santana leaned in, pausing one breath away, allowing the moment to build… like it hadn't been building for weeks and months… and then she placed a kiss on the girl's lips, not too eager, just slow and loaded with all the stops and starts they'd had to go through. Brittany had been right. It didn't matter, everything else, now there they were.

When Aimee and Tessa would return, they'd find two suitcases and two bags by the window, and on the top bunk, holding on to one another, two girls peacefully fast asleep…

TO BE CONCLUDED (TOMORROW)


	6. Soaring

_A/N: Final chapter! *mwah* :D_

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><p><strong>"Never Flew So High"<br>Brittany, Santana, Brittana, Boston Britt #3 **

**6. Soaring  
>or 'The Star'<strong>

**(A/N: Oh almost forgot to mention! For the tail-end of this chapter I was listening to Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold" on loop.. ;))**

She was on the field again, and it didn't take long for her to realize it was the same game as before… tie score, crowd on their feet, and then the come from behind victory of the McKinley Titans. She'd thrown her pom poms in the air and in the space of the time when her arms were outstretched, there she'd come, swooping in. Santana's arms had closed around her, and she did the same, jumping around with her before… the kiss to end all. Even in sleep, her lips curled in delight.

When she woke up, for just one split second, she didn't want to… didn't want to get torn away from the dream and the arms and… But with one more second she found the arms were still there, protectively snug, and her eyes opened on to pictures on her ceiling as usual, but then there was an arm draped over her stomach, someone at her side. She turned her head and there she was, Santana. She was just waking up, too, face flinching off the last bits of sleep… she'd never looked better to her. When Santana opened her eyes, getting that same realization that, yes, Brittany was there with her, she was smiling, too.

"Morning…" Brittany whispered.

"Morning," Santana repeated, yawning, tugging the blonde closer.

"Careful not to wake…" she continued to whisper, but then there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. They blinked, then Brittany turned her head and Santana slowly lifted hers. Down below, sitting side by side on the single bed, Aimee and Tessa were looking back at them, smirks for all.

"Good morning," Aimee nodded, while Tessa waved. Brittany landed somewhere between smiling and blushing while Santana fell back against the pillow with a laugh.

After getting up, eating, showering and dressing, Brittany had gone with Santana, helping with the luggage, and they'd found the house of Nick and Laura Abrams. They could see how Nick was related to Artie, right in his smile. Brittany had been there a few times before, per Artie's suggestion, having dinner with the couple when she wanted a change of pace, a home cooked meal. They had always been welcoming to her, and that didn't change with Santana. They showed her to the guest room, didn't ask questions, though they imagined that might come later. Brittany helped her unpack a bit, but then she saw the time and she sighed.

"I need to get back to school," she looked to Santana.

"Don't worry about it," she insisted, staring into the suitcase, and Brittany could see a few picture frames.

"Do one thing?" Brittany came to stand at her side and the girl looked up. "Call home," she nodded.

"I know… I-I will," she promised. Brittany hugged her, gave her a quick kiss and looked in her eyes. "I'm okay, really," Santana smiled. "Now go and kick some ass," she nodded back to the door, mighty.

"I will do that," Brittany nodded and dashed off, looking back over her shoulder one more time to see her.

It had filled her with so much joy, and strength, and love, to know that she was there, that she would see her again later that day, and not just through a screen… The misery was gone, thanks to Santana, thanks to her mother. She knew she'd miss everyone, like her mother said, but that it wouldn't be so bad once things settled down. She had the best of both worlds, and now all she wanted was to rejoin that feeling she'd been having until a week ago. The abandon to dance, complete surrender. She hadn't liked how it would feel in that one week, like everything depended on it… like a chore.

Now the closer she got back to school, the more she could feel a tingle, like she was coming back from a deep sleep and she needed to let her arms go out, let legs kick and twist and just… explode. She ran up the steps, up to her room, changed clothes and dashed back in the hall just as Aimee and Tessa were coming back from class.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Tessa asked. Brittany grinned. "What?" She laughed, tapping her roommates on the shoulder, like she was tagging them.

"Come on," she ran off, grabbing their hands on the way, just to get them running too and then she let go, until they got to the class with the lock. She let them in, and she didn't need to say a thing for them to know… time to unleash. Music filled the room, and they filled it too. She would see Aimee and Tessa dance in class, but it could never compare to when they just went for it, like now. They were so in tune with one another, and they had that same joy she had. Now in her heart of heart she wished Sherry Weston could see them like this too, then maybe she would take them on as well. It had taken them all time to go from roommates to friends, but they had. And all those times when she was scared, and when she missed home, they were there for her. It occurred to her now she'd never really thanked them… but then maybe that was what this was.

Everything was working itself out… She wasn't so far gone to think that it would stay like this, that there wouldn't be complications here and there, but she'd never thought she could get used to living away from home, and she had… She'd never thought she could rise up again after all this sadness, and here she was, smiling, and dancing, and… finally it was falling into place. She was going to be part of Sherry Weston's dance company. She was going to get to do what she loved for a living… All this time there had been a bit of a disconnect, no matter how much she liked it here, she had no anchor.

At one point she'd sort of stood back, letting Aimee and Tessa take center stage, and when she looked back she saw they had an audience of one. She grinned and jogged over to Santana at the door. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I'd almost forgotten what it was like… seeing you out there," she smiled instead of answering. "You can't stand still right now, can you?" her smile opened into a laugh, watching Brittany just shimmy about in front of her.

"Nope," she shook her head, backpedalling towards her roommates and motioning for her to join them. "You're kidding, right?" she frowned and smirked at once.

"Santana get your butt over here!" Brittany demanded, and Aimee and Tessa laughed.

"Apparently not," she put her bag down and took a few steps forward, and it was all it took for Brittany to dash forward again, grab her hand and tug her in to join in the dance. She may not have been as trained as the others, but she was holding her own just fine. When they stopped, Santana was still going, with such a smile on her face Brittany couldn't take it. She understood now more than ever, how much this had been difficult on her too, maybe more… It had never been her decision for Brittany to leave, for her to end up staying permanently. The decision she'd had to make, her only card to play, was to let it happen, or to go after her, fight for her.

She was her anchor. No matter what happened, where she went, she wouldn't be alone. No matter how crazy it got, how high she got, Santana would be there to keep her grounded. Now she was ready for anything.

THE END


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